clfjmpr44

What about electromagnetic pulses...commonly reffered to as EMPs. You'd be stuck in one gear for the rest of your life!

thelung

I dont want an integral part of my bike to rely on batteries.

Edit- Also, wireless creates a ton of potential problems. Each device would need its own unique transmitting signature to prevent one racer from shifting his and everyone nearby's gears. This brings interference and hacking into the equation as well.

Phantoj

They could be okay. I use a lot of electric and electronic stuff from day-to-day. Some of it is quite reliable. Some not so.

I'm sure Shimano has toyed with the idea a lot... wouldn't you think?

The shifters could be cheap and small - just a couple buttons... But the derailers are the tricky part. They could possibly be made simply...

Cables are kind of a lousy way to do shifters. Cables are always getting dirty, frayed, &c. How about pneumatic shifters? Hydraulic?

nitropowered

Then you'll have to bleed lines and such. I think the overall wieght of a hydraulic system would be more. Then there would be the debate over using mineral oil, or dot3/4 brake fluid.

Doggus

I think I'll wait for the electric cranks.

nitropowered

If you read the article (well translated article from a magazine) at campyonly, it says it will be wired due to the fact that wireless weighs more, uses more power, and will get interference.

Steelrider

Hey Marty, I actually rode a Mektronic system mounted on an Orbea Onix by a local shop owner and it was actually pretty cool, much better than I imagined it would be. Real world he said that he periodically experienced interference with the wireless transmission (he assumed) because of the density of wireless/radio devices here in the middle of good 'ol Silicon Valley, although I didn't experience this riding around the block. I heard that he recently sold it to someone I know, so I'll ask about his experiences with it next time I see him.

F1_Fan

"Oh man... I'm so mad at this Campy crap. I was sprinting for the line and went to shift to the 11. Freaking battery was dead and I lost the sprint."

53-11_alltheway

Best thing about this would be putting the shifting controls somwhere else besides the brifter.

Brifter as prefered position sucks if you ever want to use drops effectively. You shouldn't go rearward when you drop down. You should go forward like they did in the old days before brifters.

Drayko

I think having a button or switch to shift would be really nice too. Additionaly, if it was simply a switch, you could have sever switches to activate shifts, namely a switch on the hoods and one on the drops somewhere in more ergonomic positions.

53-11_alltheway

If there were different switches for shifting I may or may not have one on the hood. I do know It would totally change my handlebar set-up. Most likely tops and drops would be the two I'd use just like the old days when they first designed drop bars and there was no such thing as a brifter. Maybe my brake levers would be lower to optimize braking from the drops.

JavaMan

I like my current Ultegra shifters, but it would be cool if I could just push a small button to shift.

It would be nice to eliminate the cable clutter in front and the added weight of the shifters and cables.

Vickie

Bah, moan for all you want, but when Campy comes out with that thing, you guys will line up to buy it. You’re too gullible to resist. I mean, you’re paying them money to wear advertisements on your body! Why wouldn’t you fork over some more money for something you don’t need but believe it’s chic to have because your racing idol has it?

TheKillerPenguin

Kind of like how you want to pay money to express your anti-capitalist views

roadgator

oh i can see it know: electronic jammers in the team car lock all the other teams into the 53-11 at the base of a climb.

if you ask me it goes against the spirit of the bicycle. i dont like the thought of ANYTHING on the bike not being directly human powered and controled. you want the machine to work for you get a mtorcylce.

53-11_alltheway

You still got to pedal this thing though. Honestly a STI shifter is about as easy as it gets. I push a button and the gear shifts, might as well be electronic.

ajst2duk

Bring it on, I love tech stuff. Can I join the OCP club if I order one of these???

khuon

I'm waiting for the bicycle drivetrain that utlizes strong force to transmit power from the cranks to the wheel.

"Shimano is pleased to announce the introduction of the GluonDrive."

gcasillo

I, for one, welcome our new electronically shifting overlords!

Barese Rider

Gee, Maybe they could figure out some kind of electric mechanism to make the wheels go round without pedaling, this way you wouldnt have to use your legs either..

53-11_alltheway

OCP club is already upset Record 10 will be out of date in a few months Hahaha.

Flat ground you say? Doesn't matter to a true OCPer they still need the latest stuff even if they don't need a 20T cog in between their 19T and 21T

P.S. I like tech stuff too....otherwise I'd be in the SS/FG forum.

catatonic

For some reason I doubt this device would need more than a 9v battery or two.

If they know what they are doing, they should have it use standardized size batteries so replacements are easy to get.

For racers, then they can just go buy some freaking lithiums for every race if they are that worried about it.

khuon

If they knew what they were doing, they'd incorporate some EcoDrive-like recharging mechanism into the works.

slvoid

I'm still waiting for Shimano's zero point energy drive system with full neural interface. There are no pedals. In fact, there's no chain either, no cassette, no freehweel. The energy drive is built directly into the hub. All you do is sit on it and steer. Rated up to 250mph on a pair of vittoria Z-rated racing slicks.

slvoid

You've also been reading too much slashdot.